1When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan committed himself to David, and loved him as much as he loved himself. # 1Sm 20:17; 2Sm 1:262Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house.

3Jonathan made a covenant with David # 1Sm 20:8,16; 23:18 because he loved him as much as himself. 4Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, # Gn 41:42 along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

5David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the soldiers, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.

6As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, # Ex 15:20-21; Jdg 11:34 singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments. 7As they celebrated, the women sang:

Saul has killed his thousands,

but David his tens of thousands. # 1Sm 21:11; 29:5

8Saul was furious and resented this song. # Lit furious; this saying was evil in his eyes “They credited tens of thousands to David,” he complained, “but they only credited me with thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom? ” # 1Sm 15:28; 24:209So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.

Saul Attempts to Kill David

10The next day an evil spirit sent from God took control of Saul, # 1Sm 16:14; 19:9 and he began to rave # Or prophesy inside the palace. David was playing the lyre as usual, # 1Sm 16:23 but Saul was holding a spear, # 1Sm 19:911and he threw it, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” # 1Sm 19:10; 20:33 But David got away from him twice.

12Saul was afraid of David, # 1Sm 18:15,29 because the Lord was with David # 1Sm 16:13,18 but had left Saul. # 1Sm 16:14; 17:36,47; 2Sm 5:213Therefore, Saul reassigned David and made him commander over 1,000 men. David led the troops # 2Sm 5:214and continued to be successful in all his activities because the Lord was with him. # 1Sm 3:19; 16:1815When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David # 1Sm 18:5 because he was leading their troops. 17Saul told David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife, # 1Sm 17:25 if you will be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” # Nm 21:14; 1Sm 17:36-37; 25:28 But Saul was thinking, “My hand doesn’t need to be against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” # 1Sm 18:21; 18:25

18Then David responded, “Who am I, # 1Sm 9:21; 18:23; 2Sm 7:18 and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel that I should become the king’s son-in-law? ” 19When it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. # Jdg 7:22; 2Sm 21:8; 1Kg 19:16

David’s Marriage to Michal

20Now Saul’s daughter Michal # 1Sm 18:28 loved David, and when it was reported to Saul, it pleased him. # Lit Saul, the thing was right in his eyes21“I’ll give her to him,” Saul thought. “She’ll be a trap for him, and the hand of the Philistines will be against him.” # 1Sm 18:17 So Saul said to David a second time, “You can now be my son-in-law.” # 1Sm 18:20

22Saul then ordered his servants, “Speak to David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Therefore, you should become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

23Saul’s servants reported these words directly to David, # Lit words in David’s ears but he replied, “Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor man who is common.” # Gn 29:20; 34:12

24The servants reported back to Saul, “These are the words David spoke.”

25Then Saul replied, “Say this to David: ‘The king desires no other bride-price # Gn 34:12; Ex 22:17 except 100 Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’ ” # 1Sm 14:24 Actually, Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines. # 1Sm 18:17

26When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased # Lit David, it was right in David’s eyes to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, # Lit And the days were not full27David and his men went out and killed 200 # LXX reads 100 Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as full payment to the king to become his son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David as his wife. # 2Sm 3:1428Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, 29and he became even more afraid of David. As a result, Saul was David’s enemy from then on.

30Every time the Philistine commanders came out to fight, # 2Sm 11:1 David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers. # 1Sm 18:5 So his name became well known.

1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

2And Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father's house.

3And David and Jonathan made a covenant, for be loved him as his own soul.

4And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat with which he was clothed, and gave it to David, and the rest of his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

5And David went out to whatsoever business Saul sent him, and he behaved himself prudently: and Saul set him over the soldiers, and he was acceptable in the eyes of all the people, and especially in the eyes of Saul's servants.

6Now when David returned, after be slew the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels of joy, and cornets.

7And the women sung as they played, and they said: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

8And Saul was exceeding angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes, and he said: They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given but a thousand; what can he have more but the kingdom?

9And Saul did not look on David with a good eye from that day and forward.

10And the day after the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand as at other times. And Saul held a spear in his hand,

11And threw it, thinking to nail David to the wall: and David stept aside out of his presence twice.

12And Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from himself.

13Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him a captain over a thousand men, and he went out and came in before the people.

14And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.

15And Saul saw that he was exceeding prudent, and began to beware of him.

16But all Israel and Juda loved David, for he came in and went out before them.

17And Saul said to David: Behold my elder daughter Merob, her will I give thee to wife: only be a valiant man, and fight the battles of the Lord. Now Saul said within himself: Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hands of the Philistines be upon him.

18And David said to Saul: Who am I, or what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law of the king?

19And it came to pass at the time when Merob the daughter of Saul should have been given to David, that she was given to Hadriel the Molathite to wife.

20But Michol the other daughter of Saul loved David. And it was told Saul, and it pleased him.

21And Saul said: I will give her to him, that she may be a stumblingblock to him, and that the band of the Philistines may be upon him. And Saul said to David: In two things thou shalt be my son in law this day.

22And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately, saying: Behold thou pleasest the king, and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king's son in law.

23And the servants of Saul spoke all these words in the ears of David. And David said: Doth it seem to you a small matter to be the king's son in law? But I am a poor man, and of small ability.

24And the servants of Saul told him, saying: Such words as these hath David spoken.

25And Saul said: Speak thus to David: The king desireth not any dowry, but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines.

26And when his servants had told David the words that Saul had said, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David to be the king's son in law.

27And after a few days David rose up, and went with the men that were under him, and he slew of the Philistines two hundred men, and brought their foreskins and numbered them out to the king, that he might be his son in law. Saul therefore gave him Michol his daughter to wife.

28And Saul saw, and understood that the Lord was with David. And Michol the daughter of Saul loved him.

29And Saul began to fear David more: and Saul became David's enemy continually.

30And the princes of the Philistines went forth: and from the beginning of their going forth, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, and his name became very famous.

This digitised version of the 1752 Douay-Rheims Challoner Version of the Bible text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society 2018